A Legacy of Strength

Gregory Gilbert
Ancient World Slot C
May 15, 2015

At its height, the Roman Empire was one of the most powerful
empires in the world, a shining symbol of power and strength. In the
year 27 BC, the Roman Empire was founded by Caesar Augustus and
spread around the Mediterranean Sea1. The Caesars were looked at as
great warriors or generals and celebrated for their military prowess.
Often times, when a Caesar died, they were deified, such as the case
of Augusts. Many of the Roman myths speak of great heroes and
soldiers who carry out incredible feats with their strength and valor.
The Romans adored glory and grandeur, shown by Augustus, founder
of the empire, when he states, I found Rome a city of bricks and left it
a city of marble1. Glory was one of the most important parts of
Roman society, and the most famous examples of glory were the
Roman heroes. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there is statue
called the Bearded Hercules, 2and depicts one of the most famous
mythological Roman heroes, Hercules. The Bearded Hercules shows
the eternal truth of the adoration of strength and power.
This statue from the Met depicts Hercules as a powerful and
strong man reflects the Roman interest in strength at the time of its
inception. The statue is dubbed Bearded Hercules and stands at 7 9,
and shows the hero Hercules nude and
1

1 Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition Book 2. New York City:

McGraw Hill, 2011.2 Met Museum. The Collection Online: Marble Statue
of a Bearded Hercules. 2015.
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-

idealized2. In the statue, he is shown as physically fit and strong,

exactly how a hero
is envisioned. He wears the skin of the Nemean Lion over his head, a
spoil from one
of his most famous feats. The lion is a symbol of power and strength3,
so for a man to be able to kill and skin one reflects deeply on his
physical abilities. The statue is made purely of marble, and is missing
both arms. It was made between AD 68-98 during the Flavian Era of
the Roman Empire. After many years, it was recovered by a wealthy
Genoese banker, the Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani2. Bearded
Hercules currently resides in the Greek and Roman Gallery of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was donated by Mrs. Frederick T.
Thompson2.
At the time of this statues creation, the Romans had expanded their
empire to encompass a large portion of the world through extensive
military conquest. Approximately sixty years after the death of Caesar
Augustus, there was unrest in the leadership of Rome, resulting in the
year of four emperors4. The fourth emperor, the one who eventually
gained full control and established the Flavian dynasty, was named
Vespasian4. Vespasian was a powerful general in the Roman army,
famous for his conquest of England, as well as crushing the Jewish
rebellions in Judea. After the assassination of Nero, he led the Roman

armies of the Middle East and Africa against the forces of another
general vying for power in Rome. The 2battle claimed the lives of
50,0004, including citizens, and ended with Vespasian named the new
emperor of Rome. He had led the Roman people through a bitter 3civil
war, and they adored his strength and power, as well as his prowess on
the battlefield.

Making the statue in the image of Hercules was very logical. He is

considered the greatest of the mythological heroes from ancient
Greece, a son of Jupiter, renowned for his strength, prowess, and
power. Even from a young age, he displayed incredible strength.
When Hera sent two snakes to kill him in his crib, he strangled them
with his hands3. Throughout his life he completed many seemingly
impossible tasks, the most famous of which were the twelve labors of
King Eurystheus. Upon his death, the Olympians deified Hercules5.
This allowed him to become the Patron God of Roman generals and
emperors such as Mark Antony and Commodus6. The tale of Hercules
is one of the most famous of the Greco-Roman myths and exemplifies
strength and power.

23 Encyclopedia Britannica. Heracles. April 6, 2014.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/262467/Heracles.4 PBS.
Vespasian. 2015. www.pbs.org (accessed May 2015).

35 Ph.D., Nancy Felson. Heracles. May 2015.

46 History. Hercules. http://www.history.com/topics/ancienthistory/hercules (accessed May 2015).

Hercules became the embodiment of the Roman ideals of

strength and valor. People everywhere looked at him as a shining
example of a valiant warrior. There were many accounts of the
adventures of Hercules, and one of the most famous in Roman culture
was Metamorphosis by Ovid. After the death of Hercules, the Gods are
discussing his deification and Jupiter states,
I will accept [him] into the celestial regions, and I trust my
action will please all the gods. But if there is anyone, anyone at all,
who is unhappy at
Herculess deification, and would not wish to
grant this gift, he or she should
know that it was given for merit,
and should approve it, though unwillingly.7
5

Here, Jupiter is acknowledging the fact that there may be gods

opposed to Hercules6becoming a god. However, he says that those
who disagree should know that it is7being given for his merit and
accomplishments through which he has proven himself worthy, and for
no other reason. Herculess claim to fame is his unimaginable
strength and physical abilities3, as well as his ability to perform tasks
that are seemingly impossible. The fact that this was merit enough in
the eyes of the Olympians to make Hercules a god shows that the
people of the ancient world believed that those with immense strength
were to be regarded in the highest esteem. This displays the adoration
of strength that existed in the ancient world.

57 Ovid. Metamorphoses. Vol. Book 9.

68 Fowler, H. N. "Introduction to Ovid's Metamorphoses." 1945.
7

Within the Roman Empire, the myths and gods played a large role.
These legends were the religion of the empire, so they affected the
daily life of the Roman people. Ovids accounts of the myths were the
most famous and influential of all the texts made documenting them.
The historian H. N. Fowler said,
This great collection of myths became almost immediately, and
has remained ever since, the chief source of popular knowledge of
mythology. Poets and artists alike have drawn their conceptions
of the ancient gods
and heroes from Ovid even more than from
Homer.8
Because people across the Roman Empire, as well as throughout the
world used Metamorphoses as the reference for their knowledge of the
ancient myths, people know about how Jupiter made Hercules a god.
They also know why: his merit, achieved through strength. Because
these tales were such an integral part of life in the Roman Empire,
people were brought up to admire strength, as well as valor. These
ideals became a part of Roman society that was present in almost all of
the things that happened within the empire, especially in the naming
of a ruler. The greatest emperors have, for the most part been
exceptionally successful generals as well, like Augustus and Vespasian.
The influence of these myths in Rome was immense and shows how
highly esteemed strength was in the ancient world.
The eternal truth of adoration of strength and power is truly
eternal, as it is still prevalent today, possibly more than ever. The
worlds obsession with strength has only grown. Children today grow

up hearing stories of superheroes with almost inhuman strength and

idolize these figures. One of the most famous of these superheroes is
the physically enhanced patriot, Captain America. Boys and girls from
all over the world and across generations adore this righteous and
powerful symbol of strength. In the recent movie Captain America:
The First Avenger, which grossed 300 million dollars worldwide9, the
hero asks the doctor about to enhance him physically why he chose
him, a weak man. The doctor responds with, A weak man knows the
value of strength and compassion9. These simple words perfectly
capture the modern take on strength. Being strong is still valued
greatly by people everywhere. Saying that a weak man values
strength shows that people still adore strength, especially those who
are weak. The fact that heroes such as Captain America, most famous
for his superhuman strength, are idolized by millions of people proves
that strength is still adored in the 21st century.
8

Sports are also incredibly popular in the world today, and

athletes who compete are idolized and adored for their physical
capabilities. Athletes have 9become an important part of culture in the
21st century because they exemplify the strong, physically fit, ideal
human. In a commentary about American Sports Culture, columnist
Joshua R. Keefe observes,

10

89 Marvel Studios. Captain America Quotes. 2011. (accessed 2015).

910 Keefe, John R. American Sports Culture. 2014.
10

American sport has produced something more than just the usual
trappings of sport that bleed into other aspects of society accounts
of events, the hero
worship of the victors, and the training of
10
youth.
It is stated that athletes receive hero worship. This is because athletes
are one of the greatest modern day examples of immensely strong
individuals. The youth of the world are taught to aspire to become like
these athletes because they represent the strongest of our society, and
are therefore held in high esteem10. All of this, from fictional heroes to
live physically fit athletes, demonstrates that the eternal truth of
strength and power is still alive and well in the 21st century.
The eternal truth of the adoration of strength and power has
been true since the earliest moments of the ancient world, and
continues stronger than ever today. Bearded Hercules is a perfect
example of the admiration for strength that existed in the ancient
world. This eternal truth can be seen all around in the 21st century;
through movies and television, through the athletes that we celebrate
for their strength, and through the fact that children often train from a
young age to become strong like the athletes and heroes they idolize.
Strength and power have always been an integral part of the worlds
society, and this eternal truth can be seen in so many ways today.

Bibliography
Encyclopedia Britannica. Heracles. April 6, 2014.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/262467/Heracles.

Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition Book 2. New York City: McGraw
Hill, 2011.
Fowler, H. N. "Introduction to Ovid's Metamorphoses." 1945.
History. Hercules. http://www.history.com/topics/ancienthistory/hercules (accessed May 2015).
Keefe, John R. American Sports Culture. 2014.
http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/19/religion-commodity-or-escapesports-in-modern-american-culture (accessed 2015).
Marvel Studios. Captain America Quotes. 2011. (accessed 2015).
Met Museum. The Collection Online: Marble Statue of a Bearded
Hercules. 2015. http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collectiononline/search/247001?
rpp=30&pg=3&ao=on&ft=hercules&pos=66&imgno=0&tabname=lab
el (accessed April 2015).
Ovid. Metamorphoses. Vol. Book 9.
PBS. Vespasian. 2015. www.pbs.org (accessed May 2015).
Ph.D., Nancy Felson. Heracles. May 2015.
http://classic.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?
id=ar253800&st=heracles (accessed May 2015).